Daddy's Girl
by FriendsWithNature
Summary: Claude swings by Byleth's room one morning and learns more than he means to. (Not as naughty as it sounds! Rated K Plus for slight adult reference.) Fire Emblem: Three Houses. Pre-timeskip. Wyvern Moon. Claudeth one-shot fluff. Minimal spoilers. Fear the deer!


Daddy's Girl

It is an overcast Wyvern Moon morning. Byleth evaluates to-do items on her bulletin board by muted daylight filtering through her dorm's narrow window. The wind howls against the glass, growing louder as a storm draws near. Byleth hopes it will rain too. She loves the smell of rain. Suddenly there is a knock at her door.

She opens it to find Claude standing there warily eyeing the sky, his unruly hair tousled by the wind. Upon seeing her, he puts on his signature surface-level smile. "Hey Teach, sorry to bother ya. Got a minute?"

Byleth's gaze follows his to the heavy dark clouds looming above them, ready to burst at any moment. She thinks for a second, then makes up her mind. "Yes. Please, come in."

Claude looks surprised. Byleth has stopped inside his room before, but never the other way around. Students aren't typically invited into professor's rooms. He always assumed it was one of the Monastery's rules, but now that Byleth is offering he can't recall that paragraph in the student-teacher handbook.

Happiness rises inside his chest. He can't resist teasing her. He props one arm against the top of the doorframe and leans forward to deliver a smooth: "You sure about this, Teach? People might get the wrong idea." He finishes with a wink.

Byleth's friendly demeanor vanishes. She steps outside, shuts the door behind her, rests her back against the frame, and crosses her arms. Her offer is closed.

"Claude, you really shouldn't flirt with your professor," she tells him sternly, trying her best to look unamused. She succeeds.

Claude stands back and puts up a hand to shield himself from her icy glare. "I'm not flirting, this is just how I talk. Besides," he ventures, "you are only a year or two older than me, so it wouldn't be that weird if I was."

"I'm your professor," she stresses.

"I get the feeling things would have been different if you weren't. I might've even asked you out by now." He says it like it's the most natural thing in the world.

Byleth fights to suppress the color that threatens to rise to her cheeks. "This can't be what you came to see me about."

"No, sorry. What I wanted to-"

"Besides, I only date older men."

Byleth's interjection hits Claude like a charging stallion. "Whoa! So you do date!"

"Used to. Why is that surprising?" She narrows her eyes.

"Hey, don't get me wrong! You're attractive and smart; you just don't seem to be the type to put yourself out there."

"Mhmm…" Byleth isn't buying his save, but she secretly enjoys his compliment.

Despite being in hot water with his professor, Claude's interest in her gets the better of him. "So... you dated for fun?"

"No, I was serious about it."

"What!? Really?"

"Yes." Byleth answers, unflinching.

"Like engaged serious?"

"It never got that far, but that was my hope."

Claude can't believe what he's hearing. "Who's the idiot who let you get away?"

"Idiots," Byleth corrects.

"More than one?!"

"The first one didn't like that I discussed children on our second date."

Claude stumbles backwards. "Whoa, Teach! I never pegged you as someone desperate to tie the knot!"

Byleth sighs and touches her forehead to divert her gaze from his emerald eyes. "I'm not proud of it. I've since learned."

Claude pauses to process what he has just learned, then shakes his head incredulously. "So out of all your secrets, _this_ is the one you choose to tell me?"

"You asked," Byleth says simply.

Claude throws up his hands in defeat. "Clearly I've been asking the wrong questions!" He's beyond annoyed, yet the corners of his mouth tug upward. She's been playing his game of secrets this whole time and playing it well. He sighs. He has to admit he's impressed.

He shifts positions to mirror her body language, a subconscious signal that he's fully invested in the conversation. "But, while we're on the topic... Why the rush to find somebody?"

Byleth exhales, finally lowering her guard. "No matter how I grew, no matter how skilled with a blade, my father was constantly watching over me on the battlefield - to the point that it distracted him from prioritizing his own safety. He was always saying that family needs to watch out for each other. Since he's my only family, I thought if I had a husband to fight alongside me he wouldn't have to worry as much."

Claude understands. "You did it for Jeralt."

"Yes." Byleth relaxes her arms and looks off to the side. "But every time I returned from a date his beard looked greyer and greyer. He'd wait up for me, which made him more vulnerable on the battlefield the next day."

"He's a tough guy, but I can tell he has a soft spot for you," Claude remarks. "To be honest, you're the last person he should be worried about. But I know parents…" He shrugs. "They worry about us no matter what we do."

"Yes." Byleth nods in agreement. "So I broke off my relationship and things returned to the way they were."

"You know, you didn't have to give up on someone you loved because of him."

"I didn't," Byleth clarifies. "I realized I didn't love my last boyfriend. Our whole relationship had been built upon me trying not to worry my father." Upon seeing Claude's amused expression, she adds ruefully, "It's dumb, I know."

Claude chuckles. "You act distant around Jeralt in public, but you two really are close," he says gently. Byleth glances sideways, hiding a smile.

"So…" he ventures. "You think Jeralt's hair would turn grey if he saw me hanging out in your room?"

Annoyed and ready to reprimand him for flirting with her again, Byleth looks up to meet Claude's cocky grin only to notice something behind him. She smirks. "Oh, it's not his hair I'd worry about. It's yours."

Claude laughs, then senses an ominous aura behind him. He freezes.

"Anything we can help you with, Claude?" Jeralt asks tersely.

Claude jolts, then turns around to face the gruff mercenary. "No, sir! Just thanking Teach - Professor Byleth - for everything she's done for our class. Now, if I'll excuse me, I'll get out of your way!" Without waiting for a response, he hurries off just as it starts to drizzle.

Byleth stifles a laugh with her hand, but her eyes convey amusement.

Jeralt sighs, his built frame relaxing slightly. "You really should watch out for that boy… He's difficult to read." His eyes follow Claude until the young man rounds a corner and disappears from view.

"He's no trouble," Byleth dismisses her father's concern with a wave of her hand. "I have three of the most flirtatious boys at the monastery in my class. I've learned to handle them."

Jeralt starts. "Three?! Claude and Lorenz, yes, but-"

"Sylvain," she adds, opening her door slightly to fish for something inside her room. "He said 'yes' the moment I asked if he was remotely interested in joining the Golden Deer."

Jeralt groans. Byleth is certain his beard looks greyer now.

"You're a grown woman, but if you ever need someone to talk sense into any of them…" he begins.

"I know who to call," Byleth finishes, producing a textbook and an umbrella from her room. Her eyes brighten and her lips curve upward into a sincere smile. "Thanks, Father."

Jeralt's mouth opens slightly. Byleth hardly ever calls him Father. He's at a loss for words, but he returns the smile.

"I'm always on my guard," she promises. "Now, I've got a seminar to attend. I'll see you at dinner!"

Jeralt nods 'yes,' and Byleth opens her umbrella and hurries across campus. Seconds later, it starts pouring.

"She's really adjusting to life at the monastery," Jeralt says to himself almost sadly, unperturbed by the rain.

Underneath her umbrella, Byleth remembers something. "I wonder what Claude actually came to see me about."

* * *

A building away, Claude ducks under the awning of the first floor dorms and knocks on Bernadetta's door. He's dripping wet.

"I-I'm not eating any cookies!" comes the muffled reply.

"Bern, it's Claude."

"Oh!" the lilac-haired girl cracks the door open enough to see him wringing out his cape. "D-did she like it?"

"She might've, if I didn't run my mouth and get caught in a downpour." Claude apologetically holds out an empty paper cone with remnants of crystalized pink sugar inside.

"NO!" Bernadetta squeaks, devastated at the sight. "This is exactly why I always stay inside! But I really wanted to give Professor a thank you gift for letting me join your house..."

Claude rests a hand on the back of his neck and sighs, clearly displeased with himself. "Sorry I screwed things up," he apologizes. "I'll buy another cotton candy when the rain stops. This time you should give it to her. It'd mean a lot more coming from you directly."

Bernadetta panics. "NO! You have to help me, Claude!"

He's surprised by her desperation. "Hey, don't worry; I will if you want me to. But tell me something: why me?"

The girl looks at the ground. "Because you two seem close. And I'm just the new kid..."

Claude can't resist a chuckle. "I feel like I'm just starting to get to know Teach myself."

"Really?"

"That doesn't mean we can't talk to her. If anything, it means we need to talk to her more. She recruited you for a reason. You should've seen her running up and down the monastery taking archery lessons, hunting for your favorite tea, and trying to figure out the perfect present to buy for you."

Bernadetta blushes. "No way! Wow… she really went to all that trouble for me?"

Claude nods. "Yup. So the least you can do is give her your present in person." He winks. "I can come with, if it helps," he adds.

Bernadetta examines the floor thoughtfully. Finally, she looks up. "You know what, Claude? You're right. I think I can do this myself. She's my favorite person to talk to at the monastery… Pretty much the only person I can talk to. So giving her a present shouldn't be scary."

Claude grins. "That's the spirit!"

"Thank you for your help," Bernadetta says sincerely. "Oh, um, and can I ask you something?"

"Fire away."

"P-please don't take this the wrong way, but how old are you?"

Claude is surprised by the question. "Uh, I'm 19. Why?"

The girl points at his bangs. "Isn't that too early to start having gray hair?"

"What?"

Claude tugs on the strand in question to examine it. It is indeed silver, in stark contrast with his dark brown hair.

"Aw, crap."

FIN

_A/N: Proud Golden Deer here! (But all the houses are great!) I'm still pre-timeskip but am absolutely loving FE: Three Houses. This fun Claudeth conversation popped into my head one morning and I just had to write it out. I also wanted to throw in a little support conversation for Claude and Bernadetta since they don't get one in the game. And Jeralt is an amazing dad and I don't know what I'd do without him... ... ...Anyway, thanks for reading! God bless. :)_

_Disclaimer: Cover art by my friend strawberry_usagi_ on Instagram and used with her permission. Nintendo owns these characters!_


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